Interchangeable lock cores



Sept. 21, 1965 F. E. BES-r INTERCHANGEABLE LOCK CORES Filed Feb. l5. 1963 /Nl/EN TOR.

Q A m Unted States Patent O 3,266,958 INTERCHANGEABLE LOCK CORES Frank Ellison Best, P.O. Box 103, Indianapolis, Ind. Filed Feb. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 258,710 Claims. (Cl. 70-373) This specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings show my new discoveries and inventions in interchangeable lock cores over the old structure first invented by me more than 40 years ago.

FIGURES 1 to 9 inclusive show the old core as it has been continuously manufactured since Ian. 2, 1925.

FIGS. 10 to 12 inclusive show the new core as herein disclosed and claimed.

A general object of this invention is to provide a lock core of the interchangeable lock controlled assembly type in which a combined key plug and tumbler pin housing is constructed substantially entirely of sheet metal parts that are suitably shaped by stamping, rolling, bending, folding and pressing and are interlocked together in such a manner as to attain the following objects and advantages:

(1) Reduce material costs by using lesser amounts of less expensive types of materials.

(2) Reduce manufacturing costs by eliminating and simplifying old manufacturing processes and methods.

(3) Gain better concentricity of parts and improve contact surfaces by replacing machined extruded parts by roll-ups and fold-ups stamped out of less expensive sheet metal.

(4) Increase the life and strength of core parts.

(5) Improve the ease of operating the lock.

(6) Greatly simplify the assembly problems.

(7) Render the assembling and combinating of the cores more automationable.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent upon examination of the following description and accompanying drawings.

FIG. l is a perspective View of the old figure-8 shaped core 14 with its control key 15 in vertical, insertable and withdrawable position and with its locking lug 16 extended.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same with its control key 15 turned a few degrees to the right from its position in FIG. l and with its locking lug 16 retracted by the slight movement of the key 15.

FIG. 3 is a vertical axial section of said old core 14 showing its control key 15 laid in, and its control shear line 17 lined up for shearing operation.

FIG. 4 is a vertical axial section of said old core 14 showing an operating key 18 laid in and its operating shear line 19 lined up for shearing operation.

FIG. 5 is a transverse section of old core 14 as taken on line 5 5 of FIGS. 3, 4, and 7 showing old body 20 and housing 21 with its receptacle opening 22.

FIG. 6 is a transverse section of old core 14 as taken on line 6 6 of FIGS. 3, 4, and 7 showing old body 20 only.

FIG. 7 is a side View of the old core 14 showing face 23, and locking lug 16 in extended position.

FIG. 8 is a transverse section of old core 14 in dotted silhouette outline 24 as taken on line 5 5 of FIGS. 3, 4, and 7 showing the old sleeve in full section.

FIG. 9 is a transverse section of the same as taken on line 6 6 of FIGS. 3, 4, and 7.

FIG. l0 is a transverse section of the new core body 26, new sleeve 29 and housing 21 as taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the new core body 26 showing the key plug housing 27, tumbler pin housing 28, lock face 32, and combined locking lug and tumbler pin holder 30, in extended position as also seen in FIG. 10.

FIG. l2 is a transverse sectional view of the new core ice body 26, locking lug and tumbler pin holder 30 and spacer sleeve 31, the same being taken on line 6 6 of FIG. l1.

The new core body 26 comprises key plug housing 27 and tumbler pin housing 28 and the new sleeve 29 comprises pin-tumbler holder 30 and spacer 31.

It is contemplated to make key plug housing 27 of dead soft material and work-harden it by squeezing and hammering it into the desired shape and size, as shown, around a mandrel.

It will be noted also that preferably parts or spots, such as the extreme ends 40 of key plug housing 27, FIG. l2, are left of different thickness than the other portions 41 thereof, so that when tumbler pin housing 28 is squeezed and hammered into nal form there is an interlocking action between said key plug housing 27 and tumbler pin housing 28 thus interlocking key plug housing 27 and tumbler pin housing 28 very securely together endwise, transversewise, and up-and-downwise.

Then it is also contemplated to make tumbler pin housing 28 oversized of dead soft material so that it can be easily assembled down over the parts 40, FIG. l2, of key plug housing 27 and then it can be work-hardened by squeezing and hammering it into form and size as shown, FIGS. l0 and 12, while the key plug housing 27 is still on the mandrel. If desired the thickness of material of the tumbler pin housing 28 may be uniform, as shown in FIG. 10.

You will notice, FIG. 1l, that tumbler pin housing 28 is longer than key plug housing 27 terminating in a rivet projection 38 somewhat similar to the type 39 used on the old core and shown in section in FIGS. 3 and 4.

In the past, we have made the old bodies 20, FIGS. 5 and 6, out of solid figure-8 shaped brass extrusions, by drilling holes 33 and 34 and broaching upper hole area 35 out of the solid bar extrusion stock. Thus about hali` of this extrusion material Went into the scrap barrel. Also we were never able to satisfactorily keep said drilled holes 34 vconcentric with the outside outline 36 (FIG. 6).

Likewise we made the old sleeves 25, FIGS. 8 and 9, out of solid brass bar extrusion stock also by drilling holes 37 therethrough. Thus about half of this extrusion also went into the scrap barrel and here also we were never able to satisfactorily keep the inside and outside surfaces 38 and 39 respectively of these sleeves concentric. (See FIG. 8.)

Furthermore, the extruded material was much more costly per pound to fabricate than regular shapes and was procurable only from sources having the extrusion dies, which was very restrictive and often caused expensive and damaging delays.

Furthermore, the drilling and broaching processes above mentioned were also very costly processes.

When I discovered that it was not necessary to make the sleeve out of a single integral piece of material, but that a plurality of segments could be securely trapped in place and could be used even to all the advantages recited above, this invention dawned on my mind.

Then I discovered that the body also could be fabricated advantageously by ingeniously using a plurality of foldups cleverly secured together, FIGS. 10 and l2, in place of the old solid, one-piece body of FIGS. 5 and 6.

Then I discovered that tumbler pin housing 28 could be made of thicker gauge material and longer than key plug housing 27 so as to add strength and protrude to form a rivet-like extension 38 somewhat similar to rivet extension 39, FIGS. 3, 4, and 7, for securing the body to the face, with the least amount of metal.

Almost concurrently with making these discoveries, I discovered that by using sheet metal with parallel and iinely calendered surfaces for key plug housing 27, pintumbler holder 30, and spacer 31, all of our previous conyto a much superior lock core ata greatly reduced material and manufacturing cost.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America is:

1. In a lock of the class in which the assembly is lock controlled, a lock housing having therein a receptacle of substantially figure-8 cross sectional shape adapted to receive primary lock mechanism; a tubular key plug housing of thin sheet metal and of generally cylindrical cross sectional shape adapted to fit telescopically within one part of the gure-S shaped receptacle in said lock housing; and a tumbler pin housing of thin flat sheet metal interlocked in engagement withv said tubular key plug housing and adapted to be disposed within the other part of the ligure- 8 shaped receptacle in said lock housing. Y

2. In a lock of the classin which the assembly is lock controlled, a lockhousing having therein a receptacle of substantially figure-8 cross sectional shape adapted to receive primary lock mechanism; a tubular key plug housing formed of thin sheet metal, said key plug housing vincluding a substantially cylindrical portion adapted to fit slidably and telescopically into one part of the figure- 8 shaped receptacle in said lock housing and a transversely protruding portion adapted t0 extend into theother part l of the figure-8 shaped receptacle in said lock housing,`

and a tumbler pin housing of thin sheet metal interlocked in engagement with said transversely protruding portion of said key plug housing.

' part of the figure-8 shaped receptacle in said` lock housing, said transversely protruding portion comprising a lock- 3. A leek as defined in claim 2 wherein the eyiindrieer portion of said key plug housing Vis transpierced by a spacer sleeve which fits snugly and is rotatively movable a limited amount in said cylindrical portion.

4. In a lock of the class in which the assembly is lock controlled, a lock housing having therein a receptacle of,V 3 substantially gure-S-cross sectional Ashape adapted to re- A ceive primary lock mechanism; a tubular key plug housing formed of thin sheet metal, said key plug housing including a substantially cylindrical portion adapted to t slidably and telescopically into one partof the ligure-y 8 shaped receptacle and .in said lock housing and a trans- .versely protruding portion adapted to extend into the 4 and the combined locking lug and tumbler pin holder are separately formed elements.

6. A lock as defined in claim 4 wherein the spacer sleeve is stamped out of sheet metal and rolled into cylindrical shape and the combined locking lug and pin tumbler holder is a separately formed element rigidly attached to said spacer sleeve.

7. A lock as defined in claim 4 wherein the key plug housing and the tumbler pin housing are separately stamped out elements interlocked together by squeezing.

8. A lock as defined in claim 4 wherein a lock face is .staked to said pin tumbler `housing and thereby firmly united with said key plug housing.

.9.. A lock as claimed in claim 4 wherein said tumbler `pin housing and said key plug housing have a common union portion at the top central part thereof at which said housing parts are united, and wherein .spaced apart paral- -the gure-S shaped receptacle in said lock housing; a

longitudinally disposed external transversely protruding portion on said key plug housing extending into the other ing lug receiving part having substantial width and depth and two `flat face-'to-face parallel parts extending outwardly from said locking lug receiving part; a tumbler pin housing of thin sheet metal enfolding and interlocked in engagement with said two ilat face-to-face parallel parts;

a tubular spacer sleeve of thin sheet metal snugly fitting and koperatively disposedv within the cylindrical part of said key plug housing; and a combined locking lug and tumbler pin holder rigid with said sleeve and operatively disposed for limited rotary movement at least partly within said locking lug receiving part of said key plug housing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 270,318 1/83 Lewis et e1 70-373 1,003,957 9/11 yoighf 70-373 1,338,053 4/20 voight 70-373 1,433,361 10/22 Freysinger 70-373 1,543,314 6/.25 Best 70-370 1,561,771 11/25 Best 70-364 1,575,092 3/26 Best 70-373 2,814,941 12/57 Best 70-340 ALBERT H. KAMPE, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A LOCK OF THE CLASS IN WHICH THE ASSEMBLY IS LOCK CONTROLLED, A LOCK HOUSING HAVING THEREIN A RECEPTACLE OF SUBSTANTIALLY FIGURE-8 CROSS SECTIONAL SHAPE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE PRIMARY LOCK MECHANISM; A TUBULAR KEY PLUG HOUSING OF THIN SHEET METAL AND OF GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL CROSS SECTIONAL SHAPE ADAPTED TO FIT TELESCOPICALLY WITHIN ONE PART OF THE FIGURE-8 SHAPED RECEPTACLE IN SAID LOCK HOUSING; AND A TUMBLER PIN HOUSING OF THIN FLAT SHEET METAL INTERLOCKE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TUBULAR KEY PLUG HOUSIGN AND ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED WITHIN THE OTHER PART OF THE FIGURE8 SHAPED RECEPTACLE IN SAID LOCK HOUSING. 